Things are gettin' spooky in here!

Itachi fled to his room, eyes stinging unhappily. Sasuke's cruel words rang through his ears and he could not push away the wild fear that he had lost his brother once again. He quietly closed the door behind him and sand to the floor, leaning against the wood and closing his eyes. He sat there not moving for several minutes, he could hear Sasuke and Naruto pass by on their way to bed. Sluggishly, Itachi crawled into his own bed and threw the blanket over his head.

When dawn approached Itachi awoke early. He slipped outside, the house still asleep. He climbed to the roof, careful to not move over the known creaky parts. Shisui and him used to sit on the rooftops at night and watch the stars. Now he sat here alone, he held the ring his partner had given him and studied it. Slowly he slipped it onto his finger. It was a tad bit loose on him and he had to form a fist to keep it in slid it back off and placed it in his pocket and looked back towards the necklace. He ran his thumb over the shiny metal and considered putting it on, but did not want to imagine how Sasuke would react.

Sasuke's words still ran through his head but he refused to allow it to get to him. Sasuke had obviously never had to do what Itachi had to in missions. He never had to follow an elder into his office, knowing what would be done but an unknown pressure kept him from speaking of it. Kept Shisui from fighting it. Sasuke may have lost in his life. He may have suffered. But he never had to lose himself in the process. He knew who he was. He clung to his identity for years just to kill Itachi. Itachi had lost himself far too many times and his adult self stared back, silently waiting for him to catch up.

His partner flew through his mind again and he wondered if he loved him. He wondered if his future self had looked at his partner and felt his chest heat up and his stomach flutter as it had for Kakashi. Or was it more mature? Had this man been the only person he would willingly sleep with? That thought alone had him feeling terribly flustered.

He lowered the necklace as he heard footsteps approach. He held his breath, allowing his eyes close as Sasuke approached and sat beside Itachi, shoulder brushing the boy's. His cheek was bruised and his ego deflated. He watched the sunrise with Itachi. He did not speak but his silent presence and the comforting pressure of his arm brushing Itachi's was enough of an apology. Sasuke looked away from the sun and towards Itachi. Itachi felt the other teen watching him and turned his head to meet his gaze. Sasuke's expression remained unreadable but he once again bumped Itachi's shoulder.

"Let's get some dango."

Itachi smiled.

Sasuke could not understand his sibling's sweet tooth. Sweets were never something Sasuke had held any interest in but here his brother was...Kakashi was right. What a way to apologize...with teeth rotting, obnoxious, disgusting sugary food. Still he humored the kid by accepting one as Itachi offered him a slightly strained smile. He ate it, nose wrinkling at the taste. Itachi hummed in amusement.

They sat by the river, a pile of sweets between them. Itachi was sitting curled in on himself as he usually did when upset. Something Sasuke had never noticed as a child but could now read. He did not bring up last night. Knowing Itachi he had not going to be interested in talking about it right away. Give him time to think...give him space...give him dango...

Sasuke lay back in the dirt, closing his eyes as Itachi's looked towards the rushing water. He stared at it in silence, watching the water skip by and bubble happily. Th sun glittered beautifully off the water surface. He frowned when a dark shadow appeared in the water and began to swim towards the shore. Itachi pulled his feet away from the water and narrowed his eyes at the shadow. It swam closer, closer...hands reached from the water and reached for Itachi's ankle. The hands were like ice and Itachi reached forward to grasp them, not sure if to push them away or help them. A face suddenly broke from the water and Itachi stared in silent horror as Shisui grinned back.

Only...this Shisui was for lack of better word, utterly destroyed. Where once were two promising eyes were now gaping bloody holes. His skin was a pale grey, his lips a dark purple and his teeth rotten. Shisui grinned at him and spit up a mouthful of water. Sasuke remained unaware at Itachi's side, eyes closed as he enjoyed the sun. Shisui waved his hand to get Itachi's attention.

"Hey Tachi," Shisui crooned. His voice gravelly and seeming to echo. "I've missed ya." Itachi stared unable to speak. Shisui's grip on his ankle was nearly painful. "You seem scared little cousin. C'mon give me a smile." Shisui bat his eyes lashes, more putrid dark blood leaking from his eye sockets. Itachi tightly closed his eyes and shook his head. This was not real.

Not real.

Not real.

The grip on his ankle briefly tightened. Itachi reopened his eyes and Shisui was gone. The boy glanced down stream but his dead cousin was no where in sight. Itachi shakily glanced at Sasuke who had rolled onto his side and was watching Itachi with interest.

"You alright?" The teen asked in that usual aloof tone. Itachi nodded and managed a smile.

"It's getting cold isn't it?" He muttered suddenly, a chill rushing past him and Sasuke blinked thoughtfully.

"You're cold? Why didn't you say so earlier?" Sasuke slowly stood, looking towards his sibling carefully. "Let's head back home." He held out a hand towards Itachi and the younger boy took it. Sasuke's hand was larger than his, his fingers long and slender. His hand seemed to encase Itachi's. His father's hands with his mother's skin...Strong and comforting at the same time. They held each other fast and slowly met each others eyes. Sasuke was the first to break contact as he helped Itachi to his feet.

"Let's go." He muttered, walking ahead. Itachi slowly followed behind, glancing over his shoulder once more. Shisui once more lounged on the edge of the rover and offered his cousin a lazy wave, his rotten teeth pulled into a haunting grin. His eye sockets peered after his cousin as if greatly amused.

"Follow me tonight Itachi. There's something you need to know." He called out and Itachi managed a small nod. Shisui waved once more before allowing his body to be swept away downstream and out of sight.

Itachi awoke to Shisui's voice, light and teasing. It echoed hauntingly through his room. He sluggishly crawled from the bed, eyes activated and searching for his friend. He saw himself, crawling from his window and he followed. Shisui stood by the road, his face hidden in shadows. He trailed after the specters until they vanished before his eyes. Then he walked. His feet guided him as if understanding where he needed to be. There was not one to follow him tonight. It was as if fate itself had made it so Itachi would be alone.

He walked slowly through the forest, uncomprehending to anything but taking each step. He was utterly alone yet it was as if he was being observed by unknown eyes. These eyes watching his every move.

"Hey, there you are!" The Shisui corpse suddenly called out from deep in the forest while Itachi desperately searched for him. "C'mon! This way!" Shisui's voice was fading as he ran and Itachi tore after him, desperate to find his cousin. With each step he took, more memories filled Itachi's mind. They were vague, as if through a thick fog but they were there. slowly creeping on him and beckoning him closer.

Closer.

"You have to see this, Tachi." Shisui laughed up ahead, "It's important!"

Itachi ran faster, the sound of rushing water getting louder. He was approaching a cliff side. Father always told him and Shisui to be careful at the cliffs. To not get too close. These cliffs were dangerous. The water below was rapid and unforgiving. Itachi dashed through the foliage and for a moment saw corpse Shisui grin at him, before it fell away into a softer, sadder one and he pointed out ahead. Itachi gazed past him in morbid curiosity, stepping into the clearing. The night sky seeming to pull time into a stand still. Shisui sighed.

"Good luck, Itachi..." He stated before vanishing back into the dark. Itachi moved to follow when a pair of soft voices halted him.

He turned.

There stood Shisui...and himself... both were speaking in hushed whispers. Both looked as if the weight of the world was bearing down. Itachi slowly stepped forward, unnoticed by these two boys lost in time. He looked to himself. Wondering if he had yet reached his decision to kill his clan but it felt wrong to think that. He was far too tired and too hopeful to do that...it had not even crossed his...mind... He caught a glimpse of Shisui's face and flinched when he noticed one eye was missing. Blood leaking steadily down his pale face.

Shisui smiled bitterly, his hand tightening on his kunai but Itachi could barely hear what he said. It hardly mattered it seemed. With each word he spoke, Itachi felt as if he had heard it already. Still, it was as if a huge chunk of his memories were being hidden. Suddenly, Itachi's heartbeat began to pound heavily and he was no longer standing on the edge of the forest but in front of Shisui and Shisui was speaking to him. Itachi's mouth formed responses as easily as they came to him. He knew what to say, it was as if it had been scripted.

Itachi watched in trepidation as Shisui spoke to him, eyes widening in mortification as Shisui removed his remaining eye and held it out to him. He barely heard the older boy speak. He slowly reached out and took it. He remembered this... It was as if a dam in his mind was opened as he remembered everything leading up to this. The coup. Shisui was going to force his hand and make peace and Danzō had taken his eye. The last pieces of this puzzle were coming together and Itachi was powerless to stop it.

Shisui was suddenly backing up. Itachi walked forward, pleading while Shisui had responded tiredly that it needed to be done. That he was good as dead anyway. Danzō...Danzō...Danzō...he had done this. He had made this happen. Mangekyou Sharingan...this would wake it...Itachi suddenly understood! Itachi tried to plea again but Shisui had only smiled fondly at his cousin. His smile sad.

"…You're my best friend and the only one I can count on… Protect the village… and the Uchiha name."

He spoke kindly as he took each step back. His feet went over the edge as he dipped back, hands held out in front of him as Itachi ran forward. Slow.

Too slow...

Itachi's hands grabbed air as Shisui, his best friend, his confidant, his only ally in this whole clan fell into the ravine, a smile on his bloodied face. At peace and content as he allowed himself to fall to oblivion.

Itachi sank to his knees, his hand still outstretched, staring uncomprehendingly into the ravine as he lost sight of Shisui forever. The wind above howled along with the screaming in his head. His fingers curled inward. A ragged breath tore from his lips. Turing he could once again see his past self kneeling over the ravine, eyes blown wide as he stared into the dark.

He had just watched Shisui die.

He had just watched Shisui die for the good of the clan. Shisui, a young man with the world ahead of him forced to make a huge decision because of the clan's arrogance and Danzō's cruelty...in the end he had not been the one to kill Shisui. He had not held him underwater as his life left him or pushed him to his death. Instead Itachi had been to slowly to reach his friend in time and that final image of his cousin's smiling dying face would haunt him.